How to Can Chicken

Instead of buying the little tin cans full of various chopped up chicken parts at the grocery store, can your own chicken. You won’t believe how easy and delicious it is. Furthermore, if you are like me and source your meats carefully, you will be assured that you have put aside chicken that is hormone and antibiotic free, organically fed, and humanely raised. This is also a great way to make the most of chicken that you picked up on sale at the grocery store!

Raw-packing skinless boneless chicken results in a delicious tender poached chicken that is delicious cut up into chicken salads or shredded and seasoned to be used in enchiladas or other chicken-containing recipes. If you are starting with a whole chicken, debone it before canning it.

Chicken on the bone may be canned, but as it sits on the shelf, the bones begin to dissolve into a gelatinous mess. We find it extremely unappetizing.

For the sake of versatility, this recipe contains only very mild seasoning.

Each 1-quart jar will hold approximately 3 average sized chicken breasts or 6 chicken thighs. The following recipe is per jar– multiply the ingredients as needed.

Add salt and pepper, and then top up the jar with water, allowing 1 inch of headspace.

IMPORTANT: Skipping this step may cause your jars not to seal. Carefully slide a table knife or other narrow utensil down the interior sides of the jars, removing air pockets.

Wipe the lip of the jars with a cloth or paper towel that has been dipped in white vinegar. This gets rid of any fat that may be lingering on the lip of the jar – skipping this step can cause your jars not to seal.

You can see in the picture above that the chicken is still boiling. I’ve noticed that when you remove a jar from the pressure canner, the contents often continue boiling on the counter for about an hour. If they stop boiling right away, 9 times out of 10, the seal is faulty. That is because the lack of seal causes the ingredients to cool faster.

Your end result is tender poached chicken in a light broth. When serving the chicken, reserve the broth for cooking rice, veggies, or quinoa.

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The onus for your family’s safety is upon you. This is only a guideline, and the way that I preserve food for my family. Because I cannot predict every single ingredient of every single recipe a person might wish to can, I can’t give you a comprehensive list of "dos and don’ts". Botulism is no laughing matter – it can kill or paralyze you. I believe that you possess the good judgment and ability to look up your separate ingredients and omit them if they should not be canned. It’s not worth risking the health of your family.